1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
Zoot Suit takes place on June 3, 1943 in Los Angeles. The main character is Henry Reynas, who is the leader of the 38th street gang, and Henrys alter ego named El Pachuco. The play follows the Sleepy Lagoon case and the Zoot Suit riots that happened soon after.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of theplay?
The intrusion occurs when the police falsely arrest the 38th street gang for the murder of Jose Diaz
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary thatcauses a turn of events to take place?
The play occurs during WWII when tensions between white and hispanic were at an all time high. The war caused the predjudice to increase and make certain types of clothing associated to some stereotype. This is seen in the Zoot Suits that Hispanic people wore.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
Will the real murder of Jose Diaz ever be caught?
Will the 38th Street Gang receive justice?
Will the prejudice toward Hispanics and Zoot Suits ever be settled?
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Henry must overcome the obstacle of society standing in his way. He must prove to the world that he was profiled and this prejudice is immoral and wrong. He is in a battle against a whole society that only sees him as a bad person and never receiving the benefit of a doubt. Henry also faces the obstacle of him vs himself. This is seen through the battle between himself and his mental alter ego, El Pachuco.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
The most important theatrical moment is when the whole 38th street gang is wrongfully arrested by the police for the murder of Jose Diaz. When arrested you can see that they are treated harshly by the police. The other theatrical moment is when El Pachuco is stripped of his Zoot Suit. This can be seen as a Hispanic people being stripped of any and everything relating to their culture.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The first image would have to be when the boys weren't allowed to cut their hair. This was to show that they think of these boys as unkept and unwanted vermin within their society. The second image is cutting and ripping of the newspaper can be seen as the success of beating the societal stereotype that the boys were faced with. The final image would have to be the Zoot Suits themselves. They represent the Hispanic communities culture and when El Pachuco is stripped of his Zoot Suit, it can be seen as an attempt from the white community trying to eradicate this culture.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Discrimination
Profiling
Injustice
Corruption
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
I think that the 38th street gang as a whole can be seen as a close family. They have to endure this injustice served upon them. They must stick together and conquer the injustice served to them much like how a family must stick together to get through any hardship.
Zoot Suit takes place on June 3, 1943 in Los Angeles. The main character is Henry Reynas, who is the leader of the 38th street gang, and Henrys alter ego named El Pachuco. The play follows the Sleepy Lagoon case and the Zoot Suit riots that happened soon after.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion occurs when the police falsely arrest the 38th street gang for the murder of Jose Diaz
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The play occurs during WWII when tensions between white and hispanic were at an all time high. The war caused the predjudice to increase and make certain types of clothing associated to some stereotype. This is seen in the Zoot Suits that Hispanic people wore.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
Will the real murder of Jose Diaz ever be caught?
Will the 38th Street Gang receive justice?
Will the prejudice toward Hispanics and Zoot Suits ever be settled?
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Henry must overcome the obstacle of society standing in his way. He must prove to the world that he was profiled and this prejudice is immoral and wrong. He is in a battle against a whole society that only sees him as a bad person and never receiving the benefit of a doubt. Henry also faces the obstacle of him vs himself. This is seen through the battle between himself and his mental alter ego, El Pachuco.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
The most important theatrical moment is when the whole 38th street gang is wrongfully arrested by the police for the murder of Jose Diaz. When arrested you can see that they are treated harshly by the police. The other theatrical moment is when El Pachuco is stripped of his Zoot Suit. This can be seen as a Hispanic people being stripped of any and everything relating to their culture.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The first image would have to be when the boys weren't allowed to cut their hair. This was to show that they think of these boys as unkept and unwanted vermin within their society. The second image is cutting and ripping of the newspaper can be seen as the success of beating the societal stereotype that the boys were faced with. The final image would have to be the Zoot Suits themselves. They represent the Hispanic communities culture and when El Pachuco is stripped of his Zoot Suit, it can be seen as an attempt from the white community trying to eradicate this culture.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Discrimination
Profiling
Injustice
Corruption
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
I think that the 38th street gang as a whole can be seen as a close family. They have to endure this injustice served upon them. They must stick together and conquer the injustice served to them much like how a family must stick together to get through any hardship.